RUGBY: Jon Swift
WHO would have imagined on that tumultous day Francois Pienaar held the William Webb Ellis trophy aloft at Ellis Park that the domestic competition could have come close to matching it in intensity? Few would have chanced a wager on it.
And yet we have been graced with just such a domestic rugby season. Full of drama, led by the Transvaal player revolt, fuelled by the come-from- behind tenacity which has got Natal as far as it has, and swollen to whale-like proportions by the refusal of Western Province to accept that early setbacks would rule them out of contention.
It must be said that Northern Transvaal did their part and produced an equal amount of excitement by displaying some of the awesome might of the great Blue Bulls of the past. Free State, too, played some highly entertaining — if not winning — rugby to add further spice.
It is fitting then that the contestants for the October 14 final will be decided on the last Saturday of the season, with Northerns waiting on tenterhooks for the outcome of the Natal-Eastern Province clash at Durban’s King’s Park and the final score from Western Province’s trip to Bloemfontein.
One would suspect that Natal have the easier of the two games. Eastern Province might shade Free State into the wooden spoonist spot on the log, but Natal are never an easy target at home. And stung by last weekend’s decisive 25-11 defeat at the hands of the Transvaal combination who have emerged somewhat shopsoiled from this campaign, Natal will be looking for the decisive points to ensure they play for the coveted trophy in front of their home crowd.
Natal have shown a number of strengths this season, not least of them the ability to play whistle-to- whistle even when they have been behind on points.
Much of the credit for this must go to a pack of forwards — seemingly mixed and matched at will by coach Ian MacIntosh, and fired up by two superb locks in Mark Andrews and Frenchman Oliver Roumat – – and the almost uncanny ability of Luke Smith to come off the substitute’s bench and kick his side to victory.
Smith again sits out the starting line-up with French international Thierry Lacroix — originally due to have worn the No 10 jersey against Transvaal — filling the pivot role alongside Henry Honiball, the man the Natal selectors opted for ahead of Smith earlier this season.
Lacroix is no mean kicker of the ball, as his record as the highest points scorer in the World Cup attests to. And he has a stellar line-up of backs outside him when he backs the Gallic urge to run the ball.
It is a game Natal have to win. If they lose to lowly Eastern Province, they face the possibility of a play-off against Northerns who will have had a week to recover from a fiercely tough season.
But all thissupposes that Western Province beat Free STate on Saturday. Aloss to the ever-improving Bloemfontein side would mean that they really are out of it and Natal face Northerns without having to undergo the meat-grinder of a play-off.
Not surprisingly, Province have based their game on the same pattern which has served the other top sides in this year’s competition — dominance up front.
Tiaan Strauss, muc-beloved by the spectators, but a reject from the World Cup squad, has led by example throughout It has been an inspiring season from the tough No 8.
This holds equally true for the Province front five. Tommy Laubscher has revitalised his game and his international prospects at tighthead. Morney Visser — replaced by veteran Andrew Patterson this weekend — has come back to the form which won him a Test cap, and Toks van der Linde grows in stature with each game.
And surely there can have been few better tries from a front row than the lightning bustle over the lione against Northerns last weekend. It opened the way for the crucial 20-13 victory over Northerns which kept Province firmly in the hunt.
Province have also had the luxury of a pair of locks operating in almost complete unison. Neither FC Smit nor the elongated Louis Blom could have done their chances any disservice this season. And there has been little to choose from betwen either of them in the effort they have put in.
Behind this pack is the calm and collected presence of Joel STransky. The Natal discard — like Smith, he found himself in the queue behind Honiball — has adopted the striped jersey as a talisman and continues to use the lessons of a truly outstanding World Cup campaign to telling effect a rung below the intensity of international play.
In truth though, there is litle to sparate Natal, Northerns and Province. Any combination will make for a stirrring finale to this season.
And, it must be added, offer from among their assembled ranks more than one headache for national coach Kitch Christie and his selection panel when they sit down to choose the 21-member squad to tour Italy and England.
Not many coaches have the seeming embarassment of riches these sides make available. We awaith with earnest anticipation Saturday’s scorelines … and another row of furrows on Christie’s brow.